Some rotary cutters are designed to be towed or otherwise moved by a motor driven vehicle e.g., a tractor. Other rotary cutters are designed to be mounted to the vehicle. Narrower cutters may have a single wide cutter section, but wide versions are articulated in that they have a main, or central, section to which one or more side or wing sections (typically two) are pivotally attached. Usually such sections have ground engaging support wheels which follow the contour of the ground during normal mowing operations. In the articulated versions, the sections pivot with respect to each other a limited amount as the wheels follow the contour of the ground. Typically such wing sections can be raised and held in a raised position for storage or transport.
The height of the cut from the terrain can be changed by appropriate adjustment means, such as adjusting the height setting of the ground engaging wheels. For example, the adjustment of support wheels on towed cutters can be performed manually or by means of an elevating mechanism which is driven by the fluid pressure supply of the motor driven vehicle. In mounted cutters, the height may be adjusted directly through the mounting mechanism.
Some rotary cutters use a skid member which is secured to the lower edge of a side wall to serve as a wear plate in the event that the side wall should come in contact with the ground.